Chaos in Dubai amid record rain, flooding

Dubai was inundated by rounds of downpours and submerged in flooding brought on by the equivalent of about two years' worth of rain Tuesday. It follows flooding in recent days that reportedly killed at least 18 in neighbouring Oman.

A United Arab Emirates city of several million on the Persian Gulf that's about 800 kilometres southeast of Kuwait, Dubai sits in an arid region despite ample humidity, given its proximity to the sultry Persian Gulf. The city averages only a few inches of rain per year.

Sparked by an unseasonably potent area of low pressure and cold air aloft, the first rounds in Tuesday's barrage hit before sunrise and lasted off and on through the day.

At least 16 centimetres had officially fallen in Dubai as of Tuesday night, according to observations from the airport there.

“For context, most of the Dubai metro typically averages 3.5 inches (8.9 cm) per year,” meteorologist Nahal Belgherze wrote on X. “This is truly a historic event for the area.”

The day delivered roughly 18 to 24 months' worth of rain.

Much of the city was left with standing water that impacted homes and businesses, thanks to the extreme rainfall that added up to several inches over a short period, leaving it with little place to go in the flat, paved and sunparched area.

Downpours were accompanied by frequent lightning, with each new storm delivering more water to already saturated locations.

Landslides and road collapses were reported, with some places picking up more than 20 cm of rain, according to reports by local media. Bus services and Metro lines experienced delays. Telework and distance learning have been extended through Wednesday given travel challenges.

Al Jazeera reported that tanker trucks had been deployed to streets and highways to help evacuate standing water.

As much as 30 cm has fallen recently in parts of the broader region. And it showed.

Planes at Dubai International Airport seemed more like giant hovercraft, jet engines blasting the foot or two of water covering much of the tarmac, leaving a sprawling misty spray in their wake.

Late Tuesday, airport officials updated about flooding-related issues that had briefly closed down operations earlier in the day.

“We are temporarily diverting arriving flights this evening until the weather conditions improve,” it wrote on X.

Dubai International Airport led worldwide airports for delays and cancellations, with hundreds of each, according to FlightAware.com.